Rainshadow Road (Kleypas) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
1. How can adult siblings move past the old conflicts of their shared childhood? Is there anything parents can do to help prevent rivalry between their children, or is it inevitable?

2. Is there any acceptable way for someone to have a relationship with one person and then have a relationship with that person’s sibling? What about two best friends? What about two acquaintances? Where would you draw the line?

3. Justine advises Lucy to “lower her standards” in order to find a decent guy to go out with. Do you know anyone whose standards are too high? Is there any merit in “settling” for someone?

4. According to Sam, “sex is the canary in the coal mine” of a relationship—do you agree?

5. Sam and Mark are both concerned about their brother Alex’s drinking. How would you handle it if you felt that a close friend or sibling was drinking too much?

6. Are there any benefits to a “no strings attached” relationship, or is it always a bad idea?

7. Lucy’s parents, Phillip and Cherise Marinn, have experienced a strain in their marriage because the memory of his first wife is still between them. What is the difference between “moving on” and “letting go” for a widow or widower?

8. Lucy tells Kevin that he and Alice seem to believe “happiness is this thing you have to chase after, like a child with a shiny toy.” What is true happiness, and how do you achieve it?

9. Many women struggle with choices between career and personal life. Have you ever given up a career opportunity for the sake of a personal relationship or a family member? Did you regret your choice, or was it worth it?

10. Do you feel that every person in this novel got what he or she deserved? Why, or why not?

11. What would you love to see happen in subsequent Friday Harbor novels?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

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